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Lessons
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the
Book of Acts
for
Senior Division
Fourth ,Quarter, 1911
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Published by
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Sabbath-School Lessons on the
BOOK OF ACTS
For the Fourth Quarter, 1911 •
INTRODUCTORY Nam.— In this quarter's lessons are narrated
the arrest of Paul at Jerusalem, the various scenes of his trial,
his appeal to Caesar, and his, journey to Rome. Nearly one
quarter of the book of Acts is devote'd• by Luke to these events.
Paul's undaunted courage and sacrifice for Christ, and his noble
defense made on different occasions before his pefsecutors, are
sublime, and should stir our hearts to renewed zeal and consecra-
tion, and deepen our determination to maintain greater faithful-
ness in the work of God committed to our hands.
LESSON I — Paul's Third Missionary Journey Con-
-
eluded; Miletus to Jerusalem
OCTOBER 7, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE : Acts 21 :1-17.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACES: Coos; Rhodes; Patara ; Phenicia ; Tyre; Ptolemais;
Cmsarea; Jerusalem.
PERSONS: Paul and his company, including Luke; Philip and
his four daughters; the prophet Agabus; disciples at Cmsarea;
Mnason.
Questions
1.
Where did we leave Paul at the close of last
quarter's lessons? Toward what city was he travel-
ing? Why did he wish to go there?
2.
Describe Paul's course from Miletus. What im-
portant places were passed between Miletus and Tyre?
Acts 21 : 1-3. Note 1.
3.
Whom did Paul find at Tyre? How long did
he and his companions tarry there? What counsel was
given by the brethren at Tyre ? Verse 4. Note 2.
4
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
4.
Upon his leaving Tyre, what proof did the
church give of their devotion to Paul? How far did
the people go with them ? What scene was enacted on
the seashore? Having taken leave of one another,
what did each company do ? Verses 5, 6.
5.
What was the next place at which the apostles
stopped ? How long did they remain ? Verse 7.
6.
To what place did they go the following day?
With whom did they lodge ? Who was this Philip ?
What is said of his family? Verses 8, 9. Note 3.
7.
How long did Paul and his companions remain
at Philip 's house ? Who came down from Jerusalem 7.
Verse 10.
8.
What did Agabus " do ? What did he say his
action signified? Verse 11. Note 4.
9.
On hearing the message of Agabus, what did
Paul's companions and friends do ? Verse 12.
10.
How did Paul express his devotion to Christ ?
Verse 13. Note 5.
11.
What caused the brethren to cease their ap-
peals ? What did they say ? Verse 14.
12.
After this what did Paul and his company
proceed to do ? Veise 15.
13.
WhO accompanied them to Jerusalem ? Verse 16.
14.
How were they received when they arrived at
Jerusalem ? Verse 17. Note 6.
Notes
1. Coos was a small island in the Grecian Archipelago about
forty miles south of Miletus. It was celebrated for its manu-
factories of silk, ointments, wines, etc. Rhodes was also an
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
5
island in the Grecian Archipelago. On the island was a city of
the same name, which was _principally distinguished for its brazen
Colossus one hundred feet high. The Colossus stood astride the
mouth of the harbor, and was so high that vessels could pass
beneath. It stood for fifty-six years, and had been destroyed by
an earthquake 244 B.c., long before Paul's visit. It was reckoned
as one of the seven wonders of the world.
2.
"The Holy Spirit had revealed to these brethren something
of the dangers which awaited Paul at Jerusalem, and they en-
deavored to dissuade him from his purpose. But the same Spirit
which had warned him of afflictions, bonds, and imprisonment,
still urged him forward, a willing
captive."—"Sketches from the
Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 203.
Tyre was about three hundred and fifty miles from Patara.
It was one of the gr&Itest and most famous cities of the ancient
world. Hiram, king of Tyre, aided Solomon in building the
temple, B.C. 1000. 1 Kings 9.
3.
"Philip the evangelist was bound to Paul by ties of the
deepest 'sympathy. A man of clear discernm'ent and sterling in-
tegrity, Philip had been the first to break away from the bondage
of Jewish prejudice, and thus had helped prepare the way for the
apostle's work. It was Philip who preached the gospel to the Sa-
maritans: it was Philip who had the courage to baptize the Ethio-
pian eunuch.''—
Id., page 204.
4.
It was common for the prophets to perform actions em-
blematic of the events they predicted. The design was to make
the prediction more forcible and impressive by representing it to
the eye. Thus Jeremiah was directed to him, his girdle by the
Euphrates, to denote the approaching captivity of the Jews. Jer.
13:4. He was directed to make bands and yokes, and to put them
around his neck, as a sign to Edom and Moab. Jer. 27:2, 3.
5.
"The apostle was deeply moved by the entreaties of. his
beloved brethren. To human judgment he had sufficient reason
to relinquish his plan as unwise. But he felt that he was moving
in obedience to the will of God, and he could not be deterred
by the voice of friends, or even the warning of the prophet. He
would not swerve from the path of duty to the right hand nor
to the left. He must follow Christ, if need be, to prison and to
death. His tears fell not for himself, but in sympathy with his
brethren, upon whom his determination had brought so great
sorrow."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White,
page 205.
6.
"This was Paul's last visit to Jerusalem. The school of
Gamaliel, the synagogue of the Libertines, the house where the
high priest had given him his commission to Damascus, the spot
6
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
where the reddened grass had drunk the blood of Stephen, must
have stirred painful memories. But never had he trod the street
of the holy city with so deep a sadness as now that he entered it,
avoiding notice as much as possible, in the little caravan of
Csarean pilgrims and Gentile converts. He was going to a city
where friends were few, and where well-nigh every one of the
myriads among whom he moved was an actual or potential
enemy."—
F. IV. Farrar, quoted in "Tarbell's Teachers' Guide,"
1909, page 328.
LESSON II — Paul Arrested in the Temple
OCTOBER 14, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE: Acts 21:18-40.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACE: Jerusalem.
PERSONS: Paul and his company; James and the elders; the
Jews; four men having a vow; the chief captain and his soldiers.
Questions
1.
With whom did Paul and others meet the next
day after his arrival at Jerusalem ? Describe the in-
terview. Acts 21 : 18, 19. Note 1.
2.
How w4 his report received by the elders ?
What did they say concerning the number of believ-
ing Jews in Jerusalem? • For what were they zealous?
Verse 20. Note 2.
3.
What had these Jews been told about Paul ?
What did the elders advise him to do to allay preju-
dice? Verses 21-24. Note 3.
4.
What did they say of the Gentile believers ?
Verse 25.
5.
What did Paul, in harmony with their advice,
proceed to do? Verse 26. Note 4.
6.
How long a time was to be occupied in this
ceremony ? What happened near the
-
close? Who were
the instigators in the riot? Verse 27.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
7
7.
Upon whom did they call for assistance? With
what words did they stir up the rage of the Jews?
Verse 28.
8.
Upon what trivial circumstance was this .charge
based? Verse 29.
9.
How did their outcry affect the. people? What
did the mob do? Verse 30.
10.
What was their purpose? • Who received news
of the uproar? Verse 31. Note 5.
11.
What did the chief captain do? How was the
mob affected by the presence of the soldiers? Verse 32.
12.
What did the chief captain command concern-
ing Paul? What inquiries did he make? Verse 33.-
, 13. How is the confusion described? Where did
the chief captain command that Paul be taken? Verse
34. Note 6.
14.
What was necessary in order to protect Paul
from the violence of the people? Verse 35.
15.
What did the mob cry out as they pressed
around him? Verse 36.
16.
As Paul
was
taken into the castle, what did he
say to the captain? At what did the captain express
surprise? Verse 37.
17.
Who did he suppose Pau 1 was? Verse 38.
Note 7.
18.
What was Paul's reply? What request did
he make? Verse 39.
19.
When permitted to speak, what did Paul do?
What followed? In what language did Paul speak?
Verse 40.
8
SABBATH-SCHOOL: LESSON QUARTERLY.
Notes
1.
"On the day following Paul's arrival, the elders of the
church,, with James at their head, assembled to receive him and
his fellow travelers as messengers from the Gentile churches.
Paul's first act was to present the contributions with which he had
been entrusted. He had been careful to guard against the least
occasion for suspicion in the administration of his trust by causing
delegates to be elected by the several churches to accompany him
as joint trustees of the funds collected. These brethren were now
called forward, and one by one they laid at the feet of James the
offering which the Gentile churches had freely given, although
often from their deepest poverty."—"
Sketches from the Life of
Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, pages 208, 209.
2.
The elders warned Paul that there were some in the church
who were still striving to maintain the old ceremonies and customs
which had passed away. " The elders of the church had been at
fault in allowing themselves to be influenced by the enemies of
the apostle. But when they heard from his own lips an account
of the work he had been doing, it assumed a different aspect.
They could not condemn his manner of labor: they were convinced
that it bore the signet of • heaven. The liberal contributions from
the new churches he had raised up testified to the power of the
truth. They saw that they had been held in bondage by the
Jewish customs and traditions, and that the work of the gospel
had been greatly hindered by their efforts to maintain the middle
wall of partition between Jew and Gentile."—
Id., page 211.
3.
"But while James assured Paul that the decision of the
former council (Acts 15) concerning the Gentile converts and the
ceremonial law still held good, the advice given was not con-
sistent with that decision, which had also been sanctioned by the
Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God did not prompt this advice. It
was the fruit of cowardice."
"His advisers were not infallible. Though some of these men
wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, yet when not
under its direct influence they sometimes erred. 'It will be re-
membered that on one occasion Paul withstood Peter to the face
because he was acting a double part."—
Id., pages 212, 214.
4.
"It was customary among the Jews, for those who had re-
ceived deliverance from any great peril or who from other causes
desired publicly to testify their dedication to God, to take upon
themselves the vow of a Nazarite, the regulations of which are
prescribed in the sixth chapter of the book of Numbers. In that
book no rule is laid down as to the time during which this life
of ascetic rigor was to continue, but we learn from the Talmud .
and Josephus that thirty days was at least a customary period.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
9
During this time the Nazarite -was bound to abstain from wine and
to suffer his hair to grow uncut. At the termination of the period
he was bound to present himself in the temple with certain offer-
ings, and his hair was then cut off and burnt upon the altar. The
offerings required were beyond the means of the very poor, and
consequently it was thought an act of piety for
-
a rich man to pay
the necessary expenses
-
and thus enable his poorer countrymen to
complete their
vow."—"Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,"
Conybeare and Howson, page 545.
5.
"The celebration of the festival had attracted multitudes
to the holy city, and the temple was thronged with worshipers
from every land; and amongst these were some of those Asiatic
Jews who had been defeated by his arguments in the synagogue
of Ephesus, and irritated against him during the last few years
daily more and more by the continual growth of a Christian
church in that city, formed in great part of converts from among
the Jewish proselytes. These men, whom a zealous feeling of na-
tionality had attracted from their- distant home to the metropolis
of their faith, now beheld, where they least expected to find him,
the apostate Israelite who had opposed their teaching and seduced
their converts. An opportunity of revenge which they could not
have hoped for in the Gentile city where they dwelt had suddenly
presented itself."—
Id., page 546.
6.
" This cohort of soldiers formed the garrison of Castle
Antonia, at the northwest corner of the temple area, so built as
to overlook the temple and its courts. The castle was named after
Mark Anthony. This fortress communicated with the temple
cloisters by means of two flights of
steps."—"Peloubet's Notes,"
1909, page 288.
7.
"The 'Egyptian' whom the chief captain took Paul to be,
is mentioned by J osephus. A short time before this he had gath-
ered a large body of discontented Jews on Mount Olivet, whom
he had deluded into the belief that he was the Messiah, declar-
ing that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down at his word.
Felix marched out against the insurgents and dispersed them,
but the Egyptian escaped."—
Id., page 289.
•
LESSON III — Paul's Address on the Castle Stairs
OCTOBER 21, 1911
LESSON 'SCRIPTURE:
Acts 22:1-22.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACE: Jerusalem, the stairs in the Castle of Antonia.
PERSONS: Paul; the mob.
10
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Questions
1.
With what words did Paul, standing on the castle
stairs, begin his speech? Acts 22 : 1.
2.
What was the effect of his using the Hebrew
language ? Verse 2. Note 1.
J. What did Paul say concerning his birth and
training? How had he been taught? What about
his zeal? What did he say as to the zeal of his per-
secutors? Verse 3. Compare Phil. 3 : 4-6.
4.
How did he say he had manifested his deal in
times past? Acts 22: 4. Compare Gal. 1 : 13, 14.
5.
To what witness did he appeal as to his zeal
as a persecutor of Christians? What did he then
proceed to tell? Acts 22 : 5.
6.
Relate again the story of Paul's conversion.
Verses 6-13.
7.
How does he describe the glory which shone
around him? Verses 6, 11.
8.
What does he say concerning the reputation of
Ananias.? Verses 12, 13.
9.
For what did this devout Jew say God had
chosen Paul? Verse 14.
10.
What did he say Paul would be? Verse 15.
Compare Acts 10: 15.
11.
Repeat the exhortation of Ananias to Paul. Acts
22 : 16.
12.
What came to pass when Paul had returned
from Damascus to Jerusalem? Verse 17. Compare
Gal. 1: 17, 18.
13.
What instruction did the Lord give him while
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
l 1
in this trance in the temple? Why was he to leave
Jerusalem ? Acts 22 : 18.
14.
What plea did Paul urge as a reason why he
should stay and preach in Jerusalem Verses 19, 20.
15.
Nevertheless, what did the Lord say to him?
Verse 21.
16.
What word in Paul's speech was the signal
For an uproar among the Jews? What did they cry
out ? Verse 22. Note 2.
Notes
1. "Had he [Paul] spoken in Greek, the majority of those
who heard him would have understood his words. But the sound
of the holy tongue in that holy place fell like a calm on the
troubled waters. The silence became universal and breathless. "
—"Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and
Howson
,
page 555.
•
2 "
.
But when his mission to the Gentiles was announced —
though the words quoted were the words of Jehovah spoken in
the temple itself, even as the Lord had once spoken to Samuel —
one outburst of frantic indignation rose from the temple area
and silenced the speaker on the stairs. Their national pride bore
- clown every argument which could influence their reason or their
reverence. They could not bear the thought of uncircumcised
heathens being made equal to the sons of Abraham. They cried
out that such a wretch ought not to pollute the earth with his
presence — that it was a shame to have preserved his .life; and
in their rage and impatience they tossed off their outer garments
(as on that other occasion when the garments were laid at the
feet of Saul himself), and threw up dust into the air with frantic
violence.
"—Id., pages 556, 557.
LESSON IV — Paul Before the Council;
a
Division
OCTOBER 28, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE: Acts 22:23 to 23:11.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACE: Jerusalem, the Castle of Antonia.
PERSONS: Paul; the chief captain; the centurion; the San-
hedrin.
12
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Questions
.
How did the Jews give vent to their rage at
Paul's speech? What did the chief captain command
concerning him ? For what purpose ? Acts 22 : 23, 24.
Note 1.
2.
What did the soldiers at once proceed to do?
What did Paul ask the centurion? Verse 25.
3.
What was the effect of this question? Verse 26.
4.
Describe the interview that followed between
Paul and the chief captain. Verses 27, 28. Note 2.
5.
What was the result of Paul's statement that he
was a Roman citizen? Verse 29.
6.
What did the chief captain do with Paul the
next day ? Why ? . Before what assembly did he bring
Paul ? Verso 30.
7.
How did Paul begin his address before the San-
hedrin ? Acts 23 :
1.
8.
Upon hearing this statement, ;what did Ananias,
the high priest, do? Verse 2. Note 3.
9.' In what language did Paul denounce this act of
injusticd ? Verse 3. Note 4.
10.
How did those who stood by reprove him for
using the language he did? Verse 4.
11.
How did Paul excuse himself ? W hat words
did he quote to show his respect for the law? Where
are these words found ? Verse 5. Compare Ex. 22 : 28.
12.
What division did Paul perceive in the council ?
What advantage did he take of this ? What did he
declare to be the cause of his persecution? Acts 23: 6.
Note 5.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY.
13
13.
What was the result of his words?- Verse 7.
14.
What was the point of difference- and con-
tention between the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
Verse 8.
15.
As a result of Paul's declaration, what did the
Pharisees cry out ? Verse 9.
16.
What scene ensued in -the council? How fierce
was the strife concerning Paul? What did the, chief
captain do? Verse 10.
17.
Who visited Paul, the night following? What
assurance and comfort were given? Verse 11.
Notes
1.
"This commotion threw Lysias into new perplexity. He
had not been able to understand the apostle's Hebrew speech,
and when he saw its results he concluded that his prisoner must
be guilty of some enormous crime. He ordered him therefore to
be taken immediately from the stairs into the barracks,
and to be
examined by torture in Order to elicit a confession of his guilt."
—"Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and
Howson, page
557.
2.
"Tarsus had received great benefits both from Julius Cnsar
and Augustus, but the father of Paul was not on that account
a Roman citizen. This privilege had been granted to him or had
descended to him as an individual right; he might have purchased
it for a 'large sum' of nToney; but it is more probable that it
came to him as the reward of services rendered during the civil
wars to some influential Roman. . . . The family of Paul were
in the same position at Tarsus as those who were Jews of Asia
Minor and yet citizens of Rome at Ephesus; and thus it came
to pass that while many of his contemporaries were willing to
expend a 'large sum' in the purchase of 'this freedom,' the
apostle himself was 'free-born."'—
Id., page 52.
3.
"The apostle's bearing was calm and firm. The peace
of Christ, ruling in his heart, was expressed upon his countenance.
But his look of conscious innocence offended his accusers, and
when he fearlessly addressed them, 'Men and brethren, I have
lived in all good conscience before God until this day,' their
hatred was kindled afresh, and the high priest ordered him to
14
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
be smitten upon. the
mouth."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul,"
Mrs. E. G. White, pages 221, 222.
4.
"These words were not an outburst of passion. Under
the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul uttered a prophetic de-
nunciation similar to that which Christ had uttered in rebuking
the hypocrisy of the Jews."—
Id., page 222.
5.
"This exclamation produced an instantaneous effect on the
assembly. It was the watchword which marshaled the opposing
forces in antagonism to each ether. The Pharisees felt a momen- •
tary hope that they might use their ancient partisan as a new
weapon against their rivals."—"Life
and Epistles of the Apostle
Paul," Conybeare and Howson, page 559. •
LESSON V — The Conspiracy; Paul a Prisoner in
Ccesarea
NOVEMBER 4, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE: Acts 23:12-35.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worken
PLACES: Jerusalem; Antipatris ; Cwsarea.
PERSONS: Paul; the conspirators; the Sanhedrin; Paul's
nephew; the chief captain; the soldier escort; Claudius Lysias;
Felix the Roman governor.
Questions
1.
What conspiracy was formed the day after Paul
appeared before the Sanhedrin? What did his enemies
take oath to do? How many were in the company?
Acts 23: 12, 13.
2.
To whom did the conspirators make known their
plans? Verse 14.
3.
In what way did they wish the chief priests to
aid them? Verse 15.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
15
4.
Who learned of the conspiracy ? Whom did he
tell? Verse 16. Note 1.
5.
When Paul learned of the plot, what did he
do ? Verse 17.
6.
What did the centurion do ? How did the chief
captain receive the young man? What question did
he ask him? Verses 18, 19.
7.
What statement did the young man make con-
cerning the conspiracy against Paul? Verses 20, 21.
8.
What measures did the chief captain take for
Paul's safety? How strong an escort was provided?
To what place was Paul sent? To whom? Verses
22-24. Note 2.
9.
How did Lysias communicate with the governor ?
How did he begin the letter? Verses 25, 26.
10.
What did he say of his own connection with
the matter of Paul's seizure? Verse 27.
11.
What did he say as to the charges against Paul?
What testimony did he give as to his innocence ?
Verses 28, 29.
12.
What commandment did he say he had given
to Paul's accusers? Verse 30.
13.
How far did the soldiers accompany Paul?
Verse 31. Note 3.
14.
Who accompanied him to Caesarea? When they
arrived at:Ciesarea, what did they do? Verses 32, 33.
15.
When Felix had read the captain's letter, what
question did he ask ? Verse 34.
16.
What did he say to Paul? What order •did he
give concerning him? Verse 35. Note 4.
16
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Notes
1. "When Peter had been made a prisoner and condemned to
death, the brethren had offered earnest prayer to God day and
night for his deliverance. But no such interest was manifested
in behalf of him who was looked upon as an apostate from Moses,
a teacher of dangerous doctrines. It was not to the elders whose
counsel had brought him into this dangerous position, but to the
watchful sympathy of a relative, that Paul owed his escape from
a violent
death."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G.
White, page 226.
" This mention of Paul's relative is one of those touches
which make the whole world kin. From this we may infer that
some, at least, of PaUl's family were reconciled to him, and per-
haps that they occupied an influential position, within reach of
information about the secret policy of the high priest."—"Acts
of the Apostles," Rackharn, page 438.
.2. "Lysias gladly improved this opportunity to get Paul off
his hands. He was the object of so great animosity, and his
presence created so wide-spread an excitement, that a riot might
occur among the people at any time, with consequences dangerous
to the commandant himself. The Jews as a people were in a
state of excitement and irritation, and tumults were of frequent
occurrence. A short time previous, a Roman knight of far higher
rank than Lysias himself, had been violently taken and dragged
by the maddened Jews around the walls of Jerusalem, and finally
beheaded, because he received a bribe from the Samaritans. Upon
the suspicion of similar crimes, other high officials had been im-
prisoned and disgraced. Should Paul be murdered, the chief
captain might be charged with having been bribed to connive
at his death. There was now sufficient reason to send him away
secretly, and thus get rid of an embarrassing responsibility."—
"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 227:
-
-z
3.
"The escort and their prisoner marched all night to Antip-
atris, a distance of about thirty-five miles. At Antipatris they
halted
; and, the immediate danger being passed, the foot soldiers
returned thence to Jerusalem, leaving the horsemen to conduct
Paul the remaining twenty-seVen miles to Cmsarea, where they
probably arrived on the following day. So within a fortnight
Paul was back at Caesarea, and the apprehensions of the disciples
there were fulfilled."—"
Acts'of the Apostles," Rackham, page
440.
4.
"After ascertaining the necessary information, Felix de-
termined to hear the case when the accusers should arrive. Mean-
while Paul was to be confined in free custody in Herod's palace,
now the residence of the Roman governor, and therefore called
by the Romans the pretorium."—
Id.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
17
LESSON VI — Paul's Defense Before Felix
NOVEMBER 11, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE:
Acts 24:1-23.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACE
:
Caesarea.
PERSONS: Paul; Felix; the high priest and the elders; Ter-
tullus the orator.
Questions
1.
Who came down to Cesarea to appear against
Paul? 'Who was their spokesman? Acts 24: 1. Note 1.
2.
With what words of flattery to the governor did
Tertullus begin his accusations against Paul? Verses
2-4. Note 2.
3.
What charge did he bring against Paul? How
did he refer to Paul's religious connections? Verse 5.
4.
What did he say Paul was about to do when they
took him? Verse 6.
5.
How did he represent that Lysias had inter-
rupted the course of justice? Verse 7.
6.
What did Tertullus assert the governor would
himself learn by examining Paul? Verse 8.
7.
What did the Jews present also say? Verse 9.
8.
What permission was
-
then given Paul? How'
did he begin his defense? Verse 10.
9.
How long a time had elapsed since Paul arrived
at Jerusalem? What did he say was his
.
purpose in
going there? What did he say of his conduct while
there ? Verses 11, 12.
10.
What about the charges preferred against him?
Verse 13.
18
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QTJARTERLY
11.
What confession did he make? Of whom was
he a worshiper? What did he say as to his belief?
Verse 14.
12.
What hope did he cherish? What did he say
was his constant endeavor ? Verses 15, 16.
13.
After. long absence from Jerusalem, what evi-
dence of good will to his people did Paul show ?
Verse 17.
" 14. What showed that those Jews had nothing to
bring against him? Verses 18, 19.
15.
What did Paul demand of the persecuting Jews
present? Verse 20.
16.
What did Paul say was the- only thing that
could be truly charged against him? Verse 21.
. 17. What did Felix propose when he heard these
things? What did he say he would do ? Verse 22
Note 3.
18. What order did he issue concerning Paul?
What favors did he grant him? Verse 23.
Notes
1.
Nothing is known of Tertullus except the mention here..
"The description of Tertullus here as an orator indicates that
.4re was a paid advocate."—
Abbott.
2.
" Tertullus here descended to bare-faced falsehood. The
character of Felix was base and contemptible. It was said that
he 'practised all kinds of lust and cruelty with the power of a '
king and the temper of a slave.' . . . His acts of cruelty and
oppression caused him to be universally hated."—"Sketches
from
the Life of Pdul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 235.
3.
"This reference to Lysias may have been a device for
turning away the Jews, an excuse for the temporary dismissal
of the case, and need not imply that Felix was in doubt regarding
Paul's innocence and was waiting for further light. There is no
record that Lysias ever came down to Caesarea, or that Felix
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
19
made any effort to have him come. It is not probable that the
Jews waited long in CNsarea on such an uncertainty. They re-
turned to Jerusalem with the small satisfaction that if Paul was
still alive, he at least was not preaching and destroying the in-
fluence of Moses.
They seem
to have attempted nothing further
for two
years."—"Student's Life of Paul," Gilbert, page 193.
•
LESSON VII — Paul a Prisoner Before Felix
NOVEMBER 18, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:24 to 25:22.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
,
PLACE: Cfesarea, the prison.
PERSONS: Paul; Felix and Drusilla; Porcius Festus; the
high priest; Jews from Jerusalem; Agrippa and Bernice.
Questions
1.
On what occasion did Paul appear before Felix
the second time ? Of what did Paul reason ? With
what result ? What did Felix say t9 Paul ? Acts
24: 24, 25. Note 1.
2.
For- what purpose did Felix continue to send for
Paul? What alone seemed to stand in the way of his
release? Verse 26.
3.
How long was he thus unjustly kept a Prisoner ?
Who succeeded Felix as governor? Why was Paul
left in bondage ? Verse 27. Note 2.
4.
What did Festus do soon after Coming into of-
fice ? How was Paul's case brought to his attention
while he was at Jgrusalem ? Acts 25 :,1, 2.
5.
What did the Jews request? What was their
object? How did Festus reply? Verses 3, 4.
6.
What did he say Paul's adversaries should do ?
Verse 5.
20
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
7.
How soon was the opportunity given them?
Verse 6.
8.
What did the Jews do as soon as Festus opened
court? What was lacking in their accusations ? Verse 7.
9.
How did Paul reply to their charges? Verse 8.
10.
What question did Festus ask Paul? What was
the object of this question? Verse 9.
11.
What did Paul say as to the irregularity of
such a procedure? By what statement did he show
the injustice of Festus' purpose ? Verse 10.
•
12.
In what words did he show he was willing to
suffer any just punishment? By what statement did
he put an end to the trial? Verse 11. Note 3.
13.
What did Festus then do and say? Verse 12.
14.
Who came to visit Festus some time afterward ?
Verse 13. Note 4.
15.
How did Festus bring Paul's case before
Agrippa? What did he say of the demand of the
Jews and of his reply? Verses 14-16.
16.
What surprised Festus when the case came up
for trial? Verses 17, 18.
17.
In what words did .he state the whole of the
real case of the Jews against Paul? Verse 19.
18.
For what purpose did he say he was now keep-
ing Paul? Verses 20, 21.
19.
What wish did Agrippa express? When, did
Festus say, should his curiosity be satisfied ? Verse 22.
Notes
1. "Felix, who had never before listened to the truth, was
deeply agitated as the Spirit of God sent conviction to his soul.
Conscience, now aroused, made her voice heard. He felt that
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
21
Paul's words were true. Memory went back over the guilty past.
With terrible distinctness came up before him the secrets of his
early life of lust and bloodshed, and the black record of his
later years,— licentious, cruel, rapacious, unjust, steeped with
the blood of private murders and public massacres. Never before
had the truth been thus brought home to his heart. Never before
had his soul been thus filled with terror. The thought that all
the secrets of his career of crime were open before the eye of
God, and that he must be judged according to his deeds, caused
him to tremble with guilty dread.
"—"Sketches from the Life of
Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 143.
2.
"No change seems to have taken place in the outward cir-
cumstances of the apostle when Festus came to take command
of the province. He was still in confinement as before. But
immediately on the accession of the new governor the unsleep-
ing hatred of the Jews made a fresh attempt upon his life, and
the course of their proceedings presently changed the whole as-
pect of his case and led to unexpected results.
"—"Life and
Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and Howson, page 578.
3.
" Festus was probably surprised by this termination of the
proceedings, but no choice was open to him. Paul had urged his
prerogative as a Roman citizen. to be tried not by the Jewish
but by the Roman law — a claim which, indeed, was already
admitted by the words of Festus, who only proposed to transfer
him to the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin with his own consent.
He ended by availing himself of one of the most important priv-
ileges of Roman citizenship, the right of appeal. By the mere
pronunciation of those potent words, I appeal unto Cmsar, ' he
instantly removed his cause from the jurisdiction of the magis-
trate before
-
Whom he stood, and transferred it to the supreme
tribunal .of the emperor at Rome. "—
Id., pages 579, 580.
4.
"King Herod Agrippa made a visit of congratulation to
Governor Festus. With him came the beutiful and fascinating
Bernice, who was both his sister and his illegal wife. She was
also sister of Drusilla the wife of Felix, and as dissolute. "—
"Peloubet's Notes," 1909.
LESSON VIII —Paul Before Agrippa
NOVEMBER
.25, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE
: Acts 25:23 to 26:23.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACE : Caesarea.
22
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
PERSONS:
Paul; Agrippa and Bernice; Festus; chief captains
and principal men of Caesarea.
GENERAL NOTE .— In this lesson we begin a study of the
twenty-sixth chapter of Acts. This chapter "is one of the
twenty-six chapters of the Bible which Ruskin's mother had him
commit to memory, whereby, as Ruskin says, she established his
soul in righteousness. It is well worth being learned by heart,
for it contains the finest address in the Acts, the best account we
have of the great apostle's relation to his mission, and in its
dignity, sincerity, skill, and persuasiveness it proves the power
of the gospel to 'turn from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God.' It is called Paul's
apologia pro vita
sua,
his defense of his life, but the apostle is not pleading in
fear for his life; he shows, indeed, that he has done nothing
worthy of death, but he does so in defending Christianity as be-
ing, not contrary to earlier divine revelation, but a fulfilment of
that revelation, a culmination of all past promises."—"
Tar-
bell's Teachers' Guide," 1909.
Questions
1.
What is said of the assembly before whom Paul
appealed on this occasion ? Acts 25 : 23. Note 1.
2.
How did Festus introduce Paul to them ? What
had the Jews declared? What had he himself found?
Verses 24, 25.
3.
What did Festus, therefore, wish to gain by the
present examination before those dignities ? Verses
26, 27.
4.
What permission was given Paul? By whom?
Whom did Paul address? How did Paul regard this
privilege? Why? Acts 26: 1-3. Note 2.
5.
At what point did Paul begin his narrative?
What did he say concerning his manner of life from
his youth up ? By whom could this be proved ? For
what did he say he was now judged ? Verses 4-6.
6.
What did he say was the relation of the twelve
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
23
tribes to this promise? By whom, however, was he
accused on account of that same hope? Verse 7.
7.
What question did he propound to Agrippa?
Verse 8.
8.
What did Paul say he himself had thought ?
Verse 9.
9.
What did he do to the saints in Jerusalem ?
How did he stand related to their death? Verse 10.
10.
How vigorously did he carry on persecution?
How did he feel toward them '? How did he show his
enmity ? Verse 11.
11.
What further shows that it was not because
he had been prejudiced in favor of Christianity that
he accepted it? Verse 12.
12.
What details does•the apostle again relate of his
experience on the way to Damascus? Verses 13-15.
How many times has the story of Paul's conversion
been told?
13.
From this narrative what do we learn was the
work for which the Lord chose Paul? Verse 16.
14.
What did Jesus say i He would do for Paul?
To whom had he been sent ? For what purpose?
What was he to
,
bring to the Gentiles? Verses 17, 18.
15.
What did he do on receiving this vision from
heaven? Verse 19.
16.
In what successive fields did he say he had
labored? What did he instruct all to do? Verse 20.
17.
For what cause had the Jews sought to kill
him ? By what means had he been able to continue
preaching so long? To what class of people had he
24
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
testified'? To what had he confined his testimony?
Verses 21, 22.
18. What had Moses and the prophets said should
come? What had they said Christ would do through
the resurrection from the dead? Verse 23.
Notes
1.
"In all the pomp and splendor of royalty, Agrippa and
Bernice went to the audience-room, attended by a train of fol-
lowers in the costly apparel of Eastern display. Proudly the
haughty ruler with his beautiful sister swept through the as-
sembly, and seated himself by the procurator 's side. At his com-
mand, Paul, still manacled as a prisoner, was led in, and the king
gazed with cold curiosity upon him, now bowed and pale from
sickness, long imprisonment, and continual anxiety.
"What a contrast was there presented! Agrippa and Bernice •
were destitute of the traits of character' which God esteems. They
were transgressors of His law, corrupt in heart and in life. God
and angels abhorred their course of sin. But because they pos-
sessed, in a limited degree, power and position, they were the
favorites of the world. That aged prisoner, standing chained to
his soldier guard, presented nothing imposing or attractive in his
dress or appearance, that the world should pay him homage.
Yet this man, apparently without friends or wealth or position,
had an escort that worldlings could not see. Angels of heaven
were his attendants. Had the glory of one of those shining mes-
sengers flashed forth, the pomp and pride of royalty would have
paled before it; king and courtiers would have been stricken
to the earth, as were the Roman guards at the sepulcher of
Christ."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White,
pages 253, 254.
2.
"Herod Agrippa II, ruler of some principalities in north-
ern Palestine, with the title of king; son of Herod Agrippa I,
who slew James the son of Zebedee; great-nephew of Herod
A ntipas, who beheaded John the Baptist; great-grandson of
Herod the Great, who massacred the innocents in his attempts
to kill the infant Jesus. He was made supervisor of the temple
at Jerusalem, and had the privilege of appointing its high priest.
When the last Jewish war broke out with the Romans, he re-
ceived into his territory and protected those who fled before the
siege of Titus
began."—"Tarbell's Teachers' Guide," 1909,
page 272.
"Stretching forth his manacled right hand, he [Paul] said :
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
25
I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for
myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I
am accused of the Jews. Especially because I know thee to be
expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews;
wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.'
"Did the mind of Agrippa at these words revert to the past
history of his family, and their fruitless efforts against Him
whom Paul was preaching? Did he think of his great-grand-
father Herod, and the massacre of the innocent children of Beth-
lehem? of his great-uncle Antipas, and the murder of John the
Baptist? of his own father, Agrippa I, and the martyrdom of
the apostle James? Did he see in the disasters which speedily
befell these kings an evidence of the displeasure of God in con-
sequence of their crimes against His servants? Did the pomp and
display of that day remind Agrippa of the time when his own
father, a monarch more powerful than he, stood in that same
city, attired in glittering robes, while the people shouted that he
was a god? Had he forgotten how, even before the admiring
shouts had died away, vengeance, swift and terrible, had befallen
the vainglorious king? Something of all this flitted across
Agrippa's memory; but his vanity was flattered by the brilliant
scene before him, and pride and self-importance banished
-
all
nobler thoughts."—"Sketches
from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E.
G. White, pages 255, 256.
LESSON IX —Paul Starts on the Journey to Rome
DECEMBER 2, 1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE:
Acts 26:24 to 27:26.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACES: Cnsarea; the Mediterranean Sea.
PERSONS: Paul; Festus; Agrippa and Bernice; the chief cap-
tains and leading men of the city; Luke; Aristarchus; Julius;
the soldiers; the prisoners; the ship's crew.
Questions
1.
While Paul was speaking, by whom was he in-
terrupted? What did Festus say? What was Paul's
reply? Acts 26 : 24, 25.
2.
To whom did Paul appeal to substantiate his
26
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
statements? What did he say as to the openness of
all these things? Verse 26.
3.
What personal appeal did Paul then make to
Agrippa? How did Agrippa receive this personal
address? Verses 27, 28. Note 1.
4.
Repeat Paul's reply. What brought the inter-
view to an end? Verses 29, 30.
5.
When they went out, what did they say as
to Paul's innocence? What was Agrippa's verdict?
Verses 31, 32. Note 2.
6.
To whom was Paul delivered for conveyance to
Rome? Acts 27 : 1. Note 3.
7.
Who accompanied him? Verse 2. Note 4.
8.
Where did they first stop ? How was Paul treated
by the centurion? Verse 3.
9.
What was their course from Sidon? What
trouble did they experienee? At what place did they
change to another ship ? Verses 4-6.
10.
What kind of voyage did they have from this
place? What was their course? To what place did
they at last come ? Verses 7, 8. Note 5.
11.
What is said of the sailing? What "fast'' is
referred to? Verse 9, margin.
"12. What warning did Paul give? Why was it
not heeded? Verses 10, 11. Note 6.
13.
What else induced the master of the ship to
continue the voyage? To what place did they hope
to come? Verse 12.
14.
By what were they deceived? What soon fol-
lowed? Verses 13, 14.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
27
15.
What were they obliged to do? Of what did
they take advantage to secure their boat ? Having
secured it, what did they do? In what danger were
they now? Verses 16, 17.
16.
What did they do the next day ? What the
day following ? Verses 18, 19. Note 7.
17.
What was the state of the weather for many
days? Under these circumstances, was there hope.
of escape? Verse 20.
18.
When all hope was given up, what did Paul do?
What did he say was the cause of their trouble? Yet
what exhortation and assurance did he give them?
Verses 21, 22.
19.
What authority did he have for this state-
ment? What did he say of his personal relation to
God? What had the angel said to Paul? Verses 23, 24.
20.
To what did Paul therefore exhort them? Why
was he so confident ? Nevertheless, what did he say
must take place? Verses 25, 26. Note 8.
Notes
1. "The Jewish king had been instructed in the law and the
prophet; and he had learned from credible witnesses some of the
facts of which Paul had spoken. Hence, the arguments which
were so new and strange to Festus, were clear and convincing
to Agrippa. And he could but be affected by the burning zeal
which neither stripes nor imprisonment could quench. For a
time he forgot the dignity of his position, lost sight of his sur-
roundings, and, conscious only of the truths which he had heard,
seeing only the humble prisoner standing as God's ambassador,
he answered 'involuntarily, Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian.'
''With solemn earnestness, the apostle made answer:
would
to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day,
were both almost and altogether such as I am,' adding, as he
28
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
raised his fettered hands, ' except these bonds.' All who heard
him were convinced that Paul was no common prisoner. One
who could speak as he had spoken, and present the arguments
that he had presented, who was so filled with the exaltation of an
inspiring faith, so enriched by the grace of Christ, so calm in
the consciousness of peace with God and man; one who could
wish that all those princely and distinguished people might have
the same hope and confidence and faith that sustained him, but
who, without the least desire for revenge, could pray that they
might be spared the conflicts, sorrows, and afflictions which he had
experienced,— such a man could not be an impostor."—"Sketches
from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, pages 259, 260.
2.
" Thus, however grudgingly conceded, the whole process of
two years and more, at Jerusalem and Cnsarea, ended in a public
and decisive acquittal of St. Paul. Claudius Lysias, Festus, and
Agrippa, had each declared him innocent; three times was it
publicly announced of the apostle, as of the Lord, that he had
done nothing worthy of death."—"Acts
of the Apostles," Rack-
ham, page
474.
3.
" When St. Paul was despatched to the judgment-seat of
Cmsar from the port of Cmsarea, he had arrived at the middle
of his long captivity. Broadly speaking he was five years a pris-
oner from the day of his arrest at Jerusalem till his release by
the decision of Nero. He was a prisoner for more than two years
when Festus sent him to Rome, and then at Rome he spent two more
years in captivity, while his voyage occupied fully six months.
Let us now first of all look at that captivity, and strive to dis-
cover those purposes of good therein. which God hides amidst all
His dispensations and chastisements:
"We do not always realize what a length of time was con-
sumed in the imprisonments of St. Paul. He must have spent
from the middle of 58 to the beginning of 63 as a prisoner, cut
off from many of those various activities in which he had pre-
viously labored so • profitably for God's cause. That must have
seemed to himself and to many others a terrible loss to the gos-
pel; and yet now, as we look back from our vantage-point, we
can
see
many reasons why the guidance of his heavenly Father
may have led directly to this imprisonment, which proved ex-
ceedingly useful for himself and his own soul's health, for the
past guidance and for the perpetual edification of the church
of
Christ."—"Expositor's Bible" (Acts), G. T. Stokes, volume
2, pages 450, 451.
4.
" The season of Safe navigation was already far advanced,
before the apostle 's ship left Caesarea,
and the time was fast
approaching when travel by sea would be closed for the year.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
29
Every day's delay increased the peril of the voyage. But the
journey which would be difficult and dangerous to the ordinary
traveler, would be doubly trying to the apostle as a prisoner.
Roman soldiers were held responsible with their own lives for
the security of their prisoners, and this had led to the custom of
chaining prisoners by the right wrist to the left wrist of soldiers,
who relieved each other in turn. Thus not only could the apostle
have no movement free, but he was placed in close and con-
stant connection with men of the most uncongenial and abso-
lutely repulsive character; men who were not only uneducated
and unrefined, but who, from the demoralizing influence of their
surroundings, had become brutal and degraded. This custom, how-
ever, was less rigidly observed on shipboard than when the pris-
oners were ashore. One circumstance greatly lightened the hard-
ships of his lot. He was permitted to enjoy the companionship
of his brethren, Luke and Aristarchus. In his letter to the Co-
lossians, he speaks of the latter as his fellow prisoner.' But
it was as an act of choice, because of his affection for Paul, that
Aristarchus shared his bondage, and ministered to him in his
affliction."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G.
White, page 262.
5.
"The Greeks and Romans were ignorant of the use of the
compass; the instruments with which they took observations must
have been rude compared with our modern quadrants and sex-
tants; and we have no reason to believe that their vessels Were
provided with nautical charts; and thus, when 'neither sun nor
stars appeared,' and the sky gave indications of danger, they _
hesitated to try the open sea."
—"Life and Epistles of the Apos-
tle Paul," Conybeare and Howson, page 586.
6.
" The centurion decided to follow the judgment of the
majority. Accordingly, 'when the south wind blew softly,' they
set sail from Fair Havens, with the flattering prospect that a
few hours would bring them to the desired harbor. All were now
rejoicing that they had not followed the advice of Paul: but their
hopes were destined to be speedily disappointed. They had not
proceeded far, when a tempestuous wind, such as in that latitude
often succeeds the blowing of the south wind, burst upon them
with merciless fury. From the first moment that the wind struck
the vessel, its condition was hopeless. So sudden was the blow,
that the sailors had not a moment in which to prepare, and they
could only leave the ship to the mercy of the tempest"—
"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 264.
7.
"
The third day,' says Luke, 'we cast out with our own
hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars
in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope
30
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
that we should be saved was then taken away.' A gloomy apathy
settled upon those three hundred souls, as for fourteen days they
drifted, helpless and hopeless, under a sunless and starless heaven.
They had no means of cooking; no fire could be lighted, the
utensils had been washed overboard, and most of the provisions
were water-soaked and spoiled. In fact while their good ship
was wrestling with the tempest, and the waves talked with death,
no one desired food."—
Id., pages 265, 266.
8. "In the midst of that terrible scene, the apostle retained
his calmness and courage. Notwithstanding he was physically the
greatest sufferer of them all, he had words of hope for the dark-
est hour, a helping hand in every emergency. In this time of
trial, he grasped by faith the arm of infinite power, his heart
was stayed upon God, and amid the surrounding gloom his cour-
age and nobility of soul shone forth with the brightest luster.
While all around were looking only for swift destruction, this
man of God, in the serenity of a blameless conscience, was pour-
ing forth his earnest supplication in their behalf.
"Paul had no fears for himself; he felt assured that he would
not be swallowed up by the hungry waters. God would preserve
his life,
that he might witness for the truth at Rome. But his
human heart yearned with pity for the poor souls around him.
Sinful and degraded as they were, they were unprepared to die,
and he earnestly pleaded with God to spare their lives. It was
revealed to him that his prayer was granted."—
hl., page 266.
LESSON X — Shipwrecked and Saved
DECEMBER
9,
1911
LESSON SCRIPTURE:
Acts 27:27 to 28 : 6.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACES: The Mediterranean Sea; Melita Island.
PERSONS: Paul and his companions; the soldiers; the pris-
oners; the ship's crew.
Questions
1.
On the foUrteenth night, what discovery did
the sailors make ? Acts 27 : 27.
2.
What did they do ? Verse 28.
3.
What measures did they take for safety ? Verse
29. Note 1.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
31
4.
What cowardly act did the sailors attempt ?
How was their plan frustrated? What counsel did
Paul give ? Verses 30-32.
5.
'As the day dawned, what did Paul desire all to
do ? How long had they fasted ? Verse 33.
6.
What assurance did he again give them ? For
what did he have thought? Verse 34.. Note 2.
7.
Having said this, what did he do? What was
the effect of his example and words? Verses 35, 36.
Note 3.
8.
How many persons were on board the ship 7
How did they further lighten the ship ? Verses 37, 38.
9.
What did they discover as soon as it was day?
What did they try to do ? Verse 39.
'
10.
How did they proceed ? What was the result ?
Verses 40, 41.
11.
What did the soldiers advise ? Verse 42.
12.
Who kept them from their" purpose? Why ?
What orders did the centurion give ? What was the
result ? Verses 43, 44. Note 4.
13.
When they reached shore, what place did they
find it to be? Acts 28 : 1. Note 5.
14.
How were they treated by the people of the
island? Verse 2.
15.
How did Paul busy himself What happened
to him as he worked ? Verse 3.
16.
How did the people of the island regard this?
What did Paul do ? Verses 4, 5.
17.
What did the barbarians expect to see? When
they saw no harm followed, what did they conclude ?
Verse 6. Note 6.
32
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Notes
1.
"It was the fourteenth night that they had been tossed up
and down on the black, heaving billows, when, amid the sound of
the storm, the sailors distinguished the roar of breakers, and re-
ported that they were near some land. They 'sounded, and found
it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they
sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.' They were now
threatened by a new danger, of having their ship driven upon
some rock-bound coast. They immediately cast out four anchors,
which was the only thing that could be done. All through the
remaining hours of that night they waited, knowing that any
moment might be their last. The leak was constantly increasing,
and the ship might sink at any time, even if the anchors held."
—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 267.
2.
"A slight effort of imagination suffices to bring before
us an impressive spectacle as we think of the dim light just show-
ing the haggard faces of the two hundred and seventy-six per-
sons clustered on the deck and holding on by the bulwarks of the
sinking vessel. in this hour of anxiety the apostle stands for-
ward to give them courage. He reminds them that they had
`eaten nothing' for fourteen days, and exhorts them now to par-
take of a hearty meal, pointing out to them that this was indeed
essential to their safety, and encouraging them by the assurance
that 'not a hair of their head' should perish. So speaking, he
set the example of the cheerful use of God's gifts and grateful
acknowledgment of the Giver by taking bread, 'giving thanks to
God before all,' and beginning to eat. Thus encouraged by his
calm and religious example, they felt their spirits revive, and
'they also partook of food,' and made themselves ready for the
labor which awaited them."—"Life
and Epistles of the Apostle
Paul," Conybeare and Howson
,
page 610.
3.
"Whether one is ready for the hour of opportunity or
emergency depends on the whole previous life, and the real test-
ing time is not the critical moment itself, but all the appar-
ently unimportant moments which precede it. The hour reveals,
but does not make, the man. David was able to save the armies
of Israel because he had learned to
use
his sling in his shepherd
life. It was General Charles James Napier who said, 'The smith
who has to look for his hammer when the iron is red strikes when
it is too late; the hammer should be uplifted to fall like a
thunderbolt while the white heat is in the metal.'
"The greatness of Paul as a man and as a leader is shown on
this voyage to Rome. His brave endurance of hardship, his pres-
ence of mind in time of danger, his tireless activity, his unselfish-
ness, his practical wisdoin, his sympathy for others, his good cheer,
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
33
and above all, his perfect trust in God, are brought out by the
exciting scenes of peril. But all these qualities have been shown
again and again in the record of his life given in the Acts, and
in his own self-revelation in his letters. He was the foremost
man on that ship, because he had lived the noblest life and had
attained to the greatest character.'
'—"Tarbell's Teachers'
Guide," 1909.
4.
"Julius the centurion knew that Paul had been instrumental
in saving the lives of all on board, and he felt that it would be
the basest ingratitude to allow him to be put to death; and more,
he felt convinced that the Lord was with Paul, and he feared to
do him harm. He therefore gave orders to spare the lives of the
prisoners, and directed that all who could swim should cast them-
selves into the sea and get to land. The rest seized hold of planks
and other fragments of the wreck, and were carried landward by
the
waves."—"Sketches from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G.
White, page 270.
5.
Melita is the island that is now called Malta,
in the Medi-
terranean Sea, one hundred fifty miles southwest of the most
southern point of Italy. "Malta is seventeen miles long by nine
miles wide at its greatest breadth. Its area is ninety-five square
miles. One of the greatest sieges of history took place here in
1565. Since 1800 it has belonged to the
English."—"Peloubet's
Notes," 1909.
6.
"The whole scene is brought very vividly before us in the
sacred narrative. One incident has become a picture in Paul's
life with which every Christian child is familiar. The apostle
had gathered with his own hands a heap of sticks and placed
them on the fire, when a viper came out of the heat' and fastened
on his hand. The poor superstitious people when they saw this
said to one another, This man must be a murderer: he has es-
caped from the sea, but still vengeance suffers him not to live.'
But Paul threw off the animal into the fire and suffered no harm.
Then they watched him, expecting that his body would become
swollen or that he would suddenly fall down dead. At length,
. after they had watched for o long time in vain and saw nothing
happen to him, their feelings changed as violently as those of the
Lystrians had done in an opposite direction, and they said that
he was a god. We are not told of the result
s to which this oc-
currence led, but we can not doubt that while Paul repudiated,
as formerly at Lystra, all the homage which idolatry would pay
him, he would make use of the influence acquired by this miracle
for making the Saviour 'known to his uncivilized benefactors."
—"Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and How-
son, pages 613, 614.
34
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
LESSON XI — Preaching the Gospel in Rome
DECEMBER 16, 1911
LESSON. SCRIPTURE:
Acts 28:7-31.
LESSON HELP:
Sabbath School Worker.
PLACES: Melita Island; the Mediterranean Sea; Appian Road;
Rome.
PERSONS: Paul; the soldiers; prisoners and crew; the breth-
ren at Rome•
'
the captain of the guard.
GENERAL NOTE.—In this lesson "we are about to trace the
apostle's footsteps along that road which was at once the oldest
and most frequented in Italy, and which was called, in comparison
with all others, the 'queen of roads.' We are no longer following
the narrow line of compact pavement across Macedonian plains
and mountains or through the varied scenery in the interior of
Asia Minor, but we are on the most crowded approach to the
metropolis of the world."—"Life
and Epistles of the Apostle
Paul," Conybeare and Howson, page 621.
Questions
1.
Who was the chief man of the island of Melita?
How did he treat Paul's company? Acts 28':7.
2.
How was Paul able to reward him ? What did
this lead others to do? Verses 8, 9.
3.
How did the people show their appreciation ?
Verse 10.
4.. How long a time did they who were shipwrecked
remain on the island? On what ship did they sail?
Verse 11.
5.
Where was their first landing-place ? From there.
what was their course to the mainland of Italy? Verses
12, 13. Note 1.
6.
Whom did they find on landing in Italy ? How
long did they remain with them? Verse 14.
7.
When the brethren in Mime heard of Paul's •
coming, what did they do ? How far did they go ?
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
35
What effect did the sight of these brethren coming to
meet them have on Paul? Verse 15. Note 2.
8.
What was done with the prisoners on their ar-
rival in Rome? What special privilege was granted to
Paul ? Verse 16. Note 3.
9.
What did he do after three days? What state-
ment did he make.to the Jews as to his conduct? What
had the Romans not found? Verses 17, 18. Note 4.
10.
Notwithstanding all that the Jews had done
to him, what did Paul say ? What did he say was
the cause of his present bondage ? Verses 19, 20.
Note 5.
11.
What did the Jews say they had not heard?
What did they desire? What was the only thing they
knew of the sect to which Paul belonged? Verses
21, 22.
12.
What did they therefore do ? What did Paul
do when they •came to him ? For how long ? Verse
23. Note 6.
13.
What was the result ? Verse 24.
14.
What did Paul say to them before they de-
parted? Verse 25.
15.
From which prophet did he quote ? Repeat
the words. Verses 26, 27. Where are they found?
16.
Of what did Paul assure the Jews ? Verse 28.
17.
What did the Jews do as they left Paul ?
Verse 29.
18.
How long did Paul remain at Rome this time?
Under what circumstances ? Verse 30. Note 7.
19.
How did he employ the time? How free was
he to do this? Verse 31. Note 8.
36
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Notes
1.
"In Puteoli, the principal port of southern Italy, where out.
of the first temples for the worship of Augustus was erected,
Paul and his companions were refreshed by the presence ofi. Chris-
tian brethren, at whose solicitation they remained a week. Evi-
dently Julius had respect for the wishes of his prisoner, .and
indeed after the experiences of the past winter he may well have
felt that, excepting in the political sense, he was dependent upon
Paul rather than Paul upon him. In any case he was willing
to grant him special favors, as is proven by the visit in Puteoli."
—"Student's Life of Paul," Gilbert, pages 210, 211.
2.
"Forty-three miles from Rome was the Market of Appius,
and ten miles farther on another station called the Three Taverns.
Rome, the capital of the empire, is on the Tiber about fifteen
miles from its mouth. At this time its population numbered
1,600,000. "—`
Tarbell's Teachers' Guide," 1909.
"The travelers reach Appii Forum, forty miles from Rome.
As they make their way through the crowds that throng the great
thoroughfare, the gray-haired old man, chained with a group of
hardened-looking criminals, receives many a glance of scorn and
is made the subject of many a rude, mocking jest. Not one of
all he meets bestows upon him a look of pity or sympathy. He
meekly wears his chain, and silently, slowly pursues his way.
"Suddenly a cry of joy is heard, and a man springs out from
the passing throng and falls upon the prisoner's neck, embracing
him with tears and rejoicing, as a son would
-
welcome a long-
absent father. Again and. again is the scene repeated. With
eyes made keen by loving expectation, many discern in the chained
captive the one who spoke to them the words of life at Corinth,
at Philippi, or at Ephesus.
"The whole company is brought to a standstill, as warm-
hearted disciples eagerly flock around their father in the gospel.
The soldiers are impatient of delay, yet they have not the heart
to interrupt this happy meeting; for they too have learned to
respect and esteem their prisoner. In that worn, pain-stricken
face, the disciples see the image of Christ reflected. They assure
Paul that they have not forgotten him or ceased to love him; that
they are indebted to him for the joyful hope which animates their
lives, and gives them peace toward God. In the ardor of their
love they would bear him upon their shoulders the whole way to
the city, could they but have the
privilege." `Sketches from
the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 273.
3.
"Luke, his fellow traveler, remained with him during his
bondage; Timotheus, his beloved son in the faith, ministered to
him at Rome, as he had done in Asia, in• Macedonia, and Achaia
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
37
Tychicus, who had formerly borne him company from Corinth
to Ephesus, is now at hand to carry his letters to the shores which
they had visited together. But there are two names amongst his
Roman companions which excite a peculiar interest, though from
opposite reasons — the names of Demas and of Mark. The lat-
ter, when last we heard of him, was the unhappy cause of the
separatica of Barnabas and Paul. He was rejected by Paul as
unworthy to attend him, because he had previously abandoned
the work of the gospel out of timidity or indolence. It is delight-
ful to find him now ministering obediently to the very apostle who
had then repudiated his services; still more, to know that he
persevered in this fidelity even to the end, and was sent for by
Paul to cheer his dying hours. Demas, on the other hand, is now
a faithful 'fellow laborer' of the apostle, but in a few years we
shall find that he had 'forsaken' him, 'having Joved this present
world.' Perhaps we may be allowed to hope that as the fault
of Demas was the same with that of Mark, so the repentance of
Mark may have been paralleled by that of Demas."—"Life
and
Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and Howson, pages
639, 640.
4.
"The Jews who had been banished from Rome some years
previous, had been tacitly permitted to return, so that large num-
bers were now to be found there. To these, first of all, Paul de-
termined to present the facts concerning himself and his work,
before his enemies should have opportunity to embitter them
against him. Three days after his arrival at Rome, therefore,
he called .together their leading men, and in a simple, direct
manner stated the reasons why he had come to Rome as a
prisoner."—"Sketches
from the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White,
page 275.
5.
"He said nothing of the abuse which he had suffered at
the hands of the Jews, or of their repeated plots to assassinate
him. His words were marked with caution and kindness. He was
not seeking to win personal attention or sympathy, but to defend
the truth and to maintain the honor of the gospel."—
Id.,
page 275.
6.
"During the long delay of his trial Paul was not reduced,
as he had been at Caesarea, to a forced inactivity. On the con-
trary, he was permitted the freest intercourse with his friends,
and was allowed to reside in a house of sufficient size to accom-
modate the congregation which flocked together to listen to his
teaching. The freest scope was given to his labors consistent with
the military custody under which he was placed. We are told
in language peculiarly emphatic that his preaching was sub-
jected to no restraint whatever. And that which seemed at first
38
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
to impede must really have deepened the impression of his elo-
quence, for who could see without emotion that venerable form
subjected by iron links to the coarse control of the soldier who
stood beside him! How often must the tears of the assembly
have been called forth by the upraising of that fettered hand
and the clanking of the chain which checked its energetic action!"
—"Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul," Conybeare and How-
son, page 639.
7.
"According to Roman law, the trial of Paul could not take
place until his accusers should be present in person to state their
charges against him. They had not yet come from Palestine, nor
was it known at Rome whether they had even started on the
long journey. Therefore the trial might be postponed indefi-
nitely. Little regard was shown for the rights of those supposed
to have violated the law. It was often the case that an accused
person was kept in prison a long time, by the delay of the prose-
cutors to prefer their charges; or his trial might be deferred by
the caprice of those in power. . . . The Jews of Jerusalem
were in no haste to present their accusations against Paul. They
had been repeatedly thwarted in their designs, and had no desire
to risk another defeat. Lysias, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa had all
declared their belief in his innocence. His enemies could hope for
success only in seeking by intrigue to influence the emperor in
their favor. Delay would further their object, as it would afford
them time to perfect and execute their
plans."—"Sketches from
the Life of Paul," Mrs. E. G. White, page 380.
8.
"The history closes somewhat abruptly. It may-have been
the intention of the writer to continue his narrative. It is a
natural inference that when he closed it the two years had ex-
pired, or were on the point of expiring; that he, who had remained
with the apostle during his imprisonment, started with him on
his eastward journey afterwards; and that some incidents, to us
unknown, hindered him from completing the work which he had
begun. It is possible, on the other hand, that Theophilus, as an
Italian convert, may av
e
known what had passed in Rome during
the apostle's first sojourn there, or subsequently, and that St.
Luke did not aim at more than setting before his friend the stages
by which St. Paul had been brought .to the imperial city."—
"Handy Commentary" (Acts), Plumptre, page 437.
From the writings of Mrs. E. G. White we glean the follow-
ing information concerning Paul's imprisonment until his mar-
tyrdom:
At Paul's examination the charges against him were not sus-
tained, and, contrary to the general expectation, Nero declared
the prisoner guiltless. Paul's fetters were struck off and he was
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
39
free. He left Rome, and again visited the churches; seeking to
establish a firmer union between the Greek and Eastern believers.
The Jews fastened upon Paul the crime of instigaling the burn-
ing of Rome, and at the house of a disciple in Troas, he was seized
and hurried to Rome and placed in a loathsome dungeon. Paul's
last letter, the second epistle to Timothy, was written in this
cell. His persecutors fearing the extent of Paul's influence, he
was beheaded privately.
Commentators give the date of his death at about A.D. 66.
Read Paul's own comment upon his life in the closing part
of his last letter. 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.
LESSON XII — Review
DECEMBER 23, 1911
SCRIPTURE:
Acts 21 to 28.
Review Outline
Chief Persons
Paul, Philip, Agabus
LESSON
Chief Places
I.
C.lsarea,
Jerusalem
II.
Jerusalem
III.
Jerusalem
IV.
Jerusalem
V.
Jerusalem,
Caesarea
VI.
Cnsarea -
VII.
Ctesarea
VIII.
Caesarea
IX.
Cnsarea,
the sea
X.
The Mediter-
ranean Sea
XI.
Rome
Paul, James,
chief captain
Paul and the mob
Paul and the
Sanhedrin
Paul, the conspirators,
Felix
Paul, Felix,
Tertullus
Paul, Felix, Festus,.
and Agrippa
Paul, Agrippa,
and Bernice
Agrippa, Festus,
prisoners and crew
Paul and companions
on the ship
Paul and the brethren
Chief Facts
A great missionary
journey ended
Al
great mob
A great address
A great council
A great conspiracy
A great defense
A great avowal
A great conversion
A great storm
A great shipwreck
A great preacher
40
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
Questions
1.
Trace Paul's route from Miletus to Cwsarea.
AS Paul was nearing Jerusalem at the close of his
third missionary trip, what prophecy was made con-
cerning his future ? What did Paul declare he was
'ready to do ? How was he received at Jerusalem ?
Acts 21 : 1-17.
2.
What had the Jews at Jerusalem heard concern-
ing Paul's teachings ? What plan did his friends
propose by which to convince the Jews that Paul was
loyal to Jewish customs? When the Jews of Asia saw
Paul in the temple, what did they do ? How was Paul
protected from the violence of the Jews? Acts
21: 21-40.
3.
Describe the circumstances which led Paul to
preach a sermon on the castle stairs.. What portion
of his life did he first relate? What great experience
did he review ? To what people did he say the Lord
had specially sent him? Acts 22-:1-21.
4.
When Paul referred to the Gentiles in his ad-
dress, what did the Jews do ? What punishment did
they start to inflict upon Paul ? Why did they not
carry out their plans ? What question caused dis-
sension? What message of courage did Paul receive?
Acts 22 : 23 to 23 : 11.
5.
What plot was entered into by forty of the
Jews? How was this found out? How was the plan
defeated? To what place was Paul taken? Who
•
was the governor ? How was Paul's case presented
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
41
to him ? When would the governor hear his case ?
Acts 23: 12-35.
6.
Who journeyed from Jerusalem to Caesarea to
accuse Paul ? Who presented the accusation ? What
three charges were made? How did Paul meet these
charges? What was the decision of Felix? Acts
24 : 1-23.
7.
What opportunity did Paul have to present the
word of God to Felix? After two years who was
appointed to succeed Felix? What occurred when
Festus visited Jerusalem? When the Jews accused
Paul before Festus, what were their charges? How
did Paul reply to them ? To whom did Paul appeal ?
Who visited Festus at that time? What desire did
Agrippa express? Acts 24 : 24 to 25 : 22.
8.
Who were present at Paul's hearing before
Agrippa ? Why did Festus desire to get an opinion
from Agrippa regarding Pain's case? What portions
of his life did Paul review? What special work did
he show that God had given him to do ? Acts 25 : 23
to 26 : 23.
9.
How did Festus interrupt Paul's speech before
Agrippa? What evidence did- Agrippa give of being
affected by Paul's words ? What was concluded con-
cerning Paul? Nevertheless, because he had appealed
to Casar, where must he be sent ? Who was in charge
of the prisoners embarking at Caesarea for Rome?
Where did the company change vessels ? What seri-
ous trouble did they encounter ? What assurance was
given to Paul ? Acts 26 : 24 to 27 : 26.
42
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
10.
After fourteen days of drifting, where did the
ship's crew find themselves? How did Paul prevent
the desertion of the sailors? What effort did they
make to get the ship safely ashore? With what re-
sult ? How were the ship's passengers saved ? Upon
what island were they cast? What incident caused
attention td be centered upon Paul ? Acts 27 : 27 to
28 : 6.
11.
What help did Paul give the inhabitants of
Melita ? How long did the ship 's company remain
there ? Trace their route from there to Rome. What
special privileges were granted to Paul ? How did he
spend his time in Rome ? How long did he remain
there ? Acts 28 : 7-31.
LESSON XIII — Offerings
DECEMBER 30, 1911
Questions
1.
To whom are we indebted for every good thing
we enjoy ? James 1 : 17 ; Acts 17 : 24, 25.
2.
What Gift infinitely greater than all these tem-
poral blessings, has. God presented to the world ? John
3:16; Rom. 8:32.
' 3. Through Christ Jesus what is promised to His
children? Phil. 4 : 19.
4. Having provided for us so freely in both spiritual
and temporal things, what does God expect of us ?
1 Peter 4 : 10; Rom. 12 : 6-8.
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
43
5.
What special danger attends temporal pros-
perity? Deut. 8 : 13, 14. Note 1.
6.
Upon what just basis does God expect gifts from
all His people ? Luke 12 : 48 ; 2 Cor. 8 : 12-14.
7.
What kind of givers does the Lord love? 2 Cor.
9 : 7. Note 2.
8.
With cheerfulness and love lacking, are even
large gifts of great value in God's sight? 1 Cor. 13: 3.
With these qualities of heart mingled with them, how
valuable do even small offerings of the poor .become?
Mark 12: 42-44. Note 3.
9.
What relationship should exist between receiv-
ing blessings and dispensing them ? Matt. 10 : 8 ; Isa.
32 : 8 ; Prov. 11 : 24.
10.
What is God able to do for those who through
love render to Him His own in tithes and offerings ?
2 Cor. 9 : 8, 11.
HOARDED TREASURE
11.
What fate awaits the hoarded treasures of
earth ? Isa. 2 : 20, 21; James 5 : 2, 3. Note 4.
12.
Why is the hoarding of earthly treasure so
offensive in the sight of God? Heb. 11 : 6 ; Luke 9:
16, 17. NOte 5.
13.
What terrible results follow to the possessor
because of selfishly holding to earthly treasures? Matt.
19 : 16, 20-23. Note 6.
14.
What is covetousness ? Col. 3: 5. While seen
in the world, where should it not be found ? Eph.
5 : 3. What is denied every covetous person ? Verse 5.
15.
How extensively must the followers of Jesus
44
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
witness for Him? Acts 1: 8. What is involved in
reaching the uttermost parts of the earth with the
gospel ? Rom. 10 : 1345. Note 7.
Notes
'1. Just before Moses went up into the mountain near Jordan
to view the promised land and die before the Lord; lie rehearsed
in the ears of all the people the great things God had done for
them in Egypt and since their deliverance. He looked forward
to the time when they should be settled in their goodly land "flow-
ing with milk and honey," and 'pointed out their greatest danger.
They would be very likely to forget the Lord their God and be-
come lifted up, thinking-that it was by their own thrift and in-
dustry they had acquired riches in increased flocks and herds and
silver and gold. Human hearts are the same in all ages. The
people of God in our own time, just before entering the promised
Heavenly Canaan, are in danger of failing in this same particular.
Thus we should be admonished by
-
this same lesson.
2.
Selfishness ever stands with outstretched arms to receive and
keep. Love receives only to impart. Cheerfulness in giving is
therefore a sure test of pure, unselfish love. It is a test of char-
acter, and men and women are saved solely upon the worth of
character. The poor widow with the two mites is a type of the
cheerful givers whom God especially loves, and who reap special
blessings. To such "giving is living, and living is giving."
Cheerful giving is the spontaneous outburst of a converted heart
that appreciates the value of Heaven's Great Gift to us, and stands
forth amid the covetousness and greed of the world as a living
example of one truly converted to and blessed of God. To such
"it is more blessed to give than to receive."
3.
"Not all can make large offerings, not all can do great
.
works,
magnificent deeds; but all can practise self-denial, all can
reveal the unselfishness of the Saviour. Some can bring large
gifts to the Lord's treasury; others can bring only mites; but
every gift brought in sincerity is accepted by the Lord."—`T
es-
timonies for the Church," volume 9, pages 54, 55.
4.
It is the rust of the money that witnesses against its pos-
sessor. This betrays its nature — hoarded treasure. The money
thrown to the moles and bats was one time trusted in to purchase
every desirable thing. It has no such power in the day when
the Lord Jesus is revealed in flaming fire from heaven. These
treasures were potent with great blessing had they been used in
feeding the poor and sending the gospel to the perishing millions
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY
45
of earth. But it is now too late. The halo and charm have for-
ever departed from these treasures of silver and gold, once so
precious in the eyes of thOse possessing them.
5."' We have for our God the Creator of the heavens and the
earth. In Him we have all. He who could take five small loaves
and two fishes, and by His own blessing upon them feed. five
thousand people and more — can He not provide for His children
anywhere, at any time'? Did the vast multitude of Israel lack
for food; for water, for clothes, during their sojourn in the wil-
derness for forty years Can He not provide for usl To hoard
up money and trust in this is a direct insult to God, who delights
in continuously working to supply the need of His children. Matt.
16: 5-10; Luke 12: 6, 7. •
6.
Here is an instance where a rich man was directly instructed
to go and sell all that he had, and was at the same time invited
to come and ;associate with Jesus in His work. There is no ques-
tion as to this young man's duty on that day. Had he obeyed
Jesus implicitly, Christ could have made of him a valued servant.
Jesus loved him, but the young man loved his great possessions
more than he loved his Lord, and the precious privilege of being
personally connected with Him in His ministry of saving souls.
Jesus did not
-
direct everybody to sell all they had, and come
and follow Him. He even told some to stay at home. But in
this young man He saw qualities. He could use in His work. The
young man turned sorrowfully away. No wonder; for he turned
away from his path of duty, away from his God, away from the
light, and went,. as did Judas, out where it was dark.
7.
"My brethren and sisters, do not plead for retrenchment
in evangelical work. So long as there are souls to save, our in-
terest in the work of soul-saving is to know no abating. The
church can not abridge her task without denying her Master.
Not all can go as missionaries to foreign lands, but all can give
of their means f'or the carrying forward of foreign missions."—
"Testimonies for the Church, volume 9, pages 55, 56.
LESSON COMPANION
The 4 x 6 inch Map showing by different colors the four great
missionary trips of the Apostle Paul, is a good lesson companion.
Slips right into your Bible or Lesson Pamphlet.
Price, 5c each ; or six for 25c
Pacific Press Publishing Association-
Mountain View, Cal.
The Great Threefold Message
Always the Message.
God's only remedy for
the ills of this world, for the salvation of lost ancisuf-
fering humanity.
The Signs of the Times weekly
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giving of that Gospel Message, and, every six months,
gives it clearly, sweetly, tenderly, strongly, truly, and
completely.
A New Series
commencing November 14, im-
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Number, and continuing for six months, includes a
'study of the Book of Daniel as one of its many
leading features.
Never
was prophecy fulfilling as now. Never
were the great world movements so charged with
elements involving eternal destiny as now. Never
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tions than now. And never was the world in greater
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Continued from last page
The following is a list of book covers and sample pages
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Best Stories
Bible Child Life
Elo the Eagle
Glorious Appearing
Gospel Primer
House We Live In
Little Folks' Bible Nature
Making Home Happy
Making Home Peaceful
Mount of Blessing
New Testament Primer
Our Paradise Home
Steps to Christ
Story of Pitcairn
Uncle Ben's Cobblestones
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A
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taining description, first page
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Continued on previous page
